Wash valve for wells



- Patented Jan. 24, 1980 WASH VALVE FOR WELLS Arthurv J. Penick,Houston, Tex., a'ssignor to Oil Center Tool Company, Houston, Tex acorporation of Texas Application June 27, 1946, Serial No. 679,811

This invention relates to a wash valve for wells.

An object of the invention is to provide means for washing the drillingfluid from between the outer casing and the tubing in awe preparatory toproducing oil or gas from. the well.

In carrying on production from a well oil or gas is often producedsimultaneously from an upper and a lower stratum, the production fromthe lower stratum flowing up through the tubing and the production fromthe upper stratum flowing up through the casing around the tubing, witha packer around the tubing to separate the producing strata.

When the tubing is lowered and the packer is expanded, or set, thecasing is filled with drilling fluid, or other drilling mud which shouldbe washed out-and removed preparatory to bringing in production from theupper stratum. One of the objects of the present invention is to providemeans for removing the drilling fluid, or drilling mud, and replacingthe same with clean fluid which is in turn replaced by the fluid flowingin from the upper stratum.

However, it is not intended to confine the invention to the aboveillustrated use but the in-' vention comprehends the novel type of valveherein disclosed for general use in conditioning a well. I

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following specification which is illustrated by th accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

2 Claims. (Cl. 25178) Figure 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional Iview showing-the casing and tubing with the wash valve in open position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a packer assembly inthe tubing beneath the wash valve; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view-showing the washvalve closed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawinss wherein like numerals ofreference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral Idesignates the well casing which extends to the ground surfac and withinth casing there is the tubing 2.

Fluid flowing upwardly through the tubing passes on up through aconventional tubing head, or christmas tree, at the ground surface andout through flow lines provided for this purpose and fluid flowing upthrough the casing around the tubing flows out through-the flow lines ofthe conventional casing head-on the casing at the groundsurface.

On the lower end of the tubing there is a casing packer 3. .This packermay be of any conventional construction but in the present illus--tration there is shown a type of packer which is illustrated in myco-pending application for Hydraulic packer setting assembly Serial No.679,814, executed by me on the 27th day of June A. D. 1946. Theexpansible sleeve of the packer is maintained against expansion, whilethe tubing is being lowered, by a shear pin 4 which, before the packeris expanded, secures the outer and inner tubular sections 5 and 6 of thepacker body against relative longitudinal movement.

When the tubing is lowered into the casing and the packer is locatedbetween the upper and lower producing strata the packer sleeve may beexpanded in the conventional manner, if a conventional packer assemblyis used, or in the manner explained in my co-pending application abovereferrcd to, if a packer assembly of that type is employed and when thepacker is expanded it will form a seal with the casing between theproducing strata. The shear pin 4 is shown sheared and the packer sleeve3 expanded in the present illustration.

Production from the lower stratum may then flow up through the tubingbut the drilling fluid, or drilling mud, above the packer should bewashed out to permit production from the upper stratum. Incorporatedinto the tubing at the required place there is a special coupling Iwhose lower end is provided with an annular downwardly flared groove 8.

Screwed onto the lower end of the coupling 1 there is a tubular guide 9whose lower end is inwardly thickened forming an inside, annular,upwardly facing shoulder It. This. guide fits over the tubular valve lI. The upper end of this valve is tapered to form a fluid tight fit inthe groove 8 when the valve is closed.

As an additional precaution against leakage. when the valve is closed,there are secured to the upper end of the valve adjacent the taperedportion thereof the external and internal annular seal rings l2 and I3which may be secured to the valve in any preferred manner as bydovetailing the same therein. These seal rings are flared upwardly andare positioned to seat against the lower end face of the coupling I onthe outside and inside of the groove 8, as illustrated in Figure 3, soas to form fluid tight seals 3 spacadapartwhenthe valve isclosed'butinterlocktopreventthescparationofthetubing.

While going into the well-the valve is pinned closed position by meansof a frangible pin .which is screwed through the guide I and extendsinto the valve ll. 7

The lower end of the valve is connected to the upper end 'of the packerwhich is incorporated into the tubing and the telescoping parts aboveuntil the packer is located at the desired point.

If desired clean fluid may be forced down through the tubing and outthrough the lower end thereof and up through the well casing to wash thewell and the packer may then be set or expanded, as shown in Figure 2;or the packer may be set before said washing process.

In setting the packer the frangible pin I! may be sheared as describedin my co-pending application above referred to or if a conventional typeof packer is used the pin ll may be sheared after the packer is set bypulling upwardly on the tubing.

when the tubing is elevated to carry the slots it above the sleeve valveIi, as shown in Figure 1, this movement will be limited by theinterengaging shoulders II, it and the tubing may be anchored in saidelevated position by a conventional tubing supporting means at theground surface.

Clean fluid may now be forced from the ground surface down through thetubing 2 and out through the slots Ii and back up through the casing towash out any remaining drilling fluid, or drilling mud, in the casingabove the packer.

The tubing may then be lowered until the lower end of the coupling 1lands on the upper end of the valve l I, said upper end seating closelyin the groove I with the seal rings i2 and it in sealing relation withthe lower end face of said coupling 1 to form a fluid tight seal and theslots it will then be closed. Upon installation of any selected type ofwell head flowing equipment production from the lower stratum may becarried in through the tubing and production from the .upper stratum maybe carried on through the casing.

It is to be understood that the method of using the wash valvehereinabove recited is for illua tration only and this type of valve maybe used in other situations and other methods of its use in wellproduction may be employed.

What I claim is:

1. In a well tubing formed of independent movable sections, a tubularguide on one section having an outlet opening, an annular valve seat inthe guide having an annular flared groove, a sleeve valve adapted to beconnected to the other section and telescoped into the guide and havingits free end tapered to fit into said groove, an annular resilient sealring on the valve ad- Jacent the tapered portion and positioned to forma seal with said seat when the valve is closed, said telescoping partsbeing relatively movable to one position to seat the valve in saidgroove and close said opening and to another positionto clear said-opening, a frangible pin connecting the guide and valve and normallythe tapered portion and positioned to form a,

seal with said seat when the valve is closed. said telescoping partsbeing relatively movable to one position to seat the valve in saidgroove and close said openings and to another position to clear saidopenings, a frangible pin connecting the guide and valve and normallymaintaining the valve closed, and means to prevent the completeseparation of the valve and guide.

ARTHUR J. PENICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 279,087 Emery June 5, 1883815,236 Trump Mar. 13, 1906 1,785,276 Mack Dec. 18, 1830 2,074,608Gosline Mar. 23, 1937 2,141,835 Allen Dec. 27, 1838

